Angel's Tear Quicksilver
by Chicary
Summary: You think you know someone until you are slapped awake by reality. Though that can be a good thing sometimes. Mahaado x Mana: Apprenticeshipping. Old fic.


Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh.  
  
A/N: This is in the point of view of DMG otherwise known as Dark Magician Girl. Subject? Well, it's going to be easy to guess. Warning: there will be fluff in this fic but not quite as you would expect. Please read and review!  
  
**Angel's Tear Quicksilver**  
  
He was the trusted priest of the great Pharaoh. His abounding knowledge in the art of potion and sorcery could not be outmatched by any other in this duty. The profound and perceptive wisdom he wielded was awed by everyone who knew him by name, or even, by reputation. The regal demeanour he held radiated a message of honour and pride to those who looked to his example. The brave and stone-hard stance by which he armed himself with when he defended his master was unmistakably unyielding. His ways were mysterious and unpredictable...  
  
.....and I was proud to be chosen as his apprentice.  
  
But of course, that was only scratching the surface. As one who was meant to follow in his example, I should know every aspect there is to know about my master. Isn't that how it's supposed to be? If a carpenter's trainee was to be asked that question, then yes of course, why not? A pottery maker's apprentice, well a nod indefinitely, and so would a young soon-to-be scribe.  
  
You'd double over and shake in mirth at the pathetic answer I have for this question and yes it is something I'm not well, how can I phrase this...... ecstatic about. To put it simply, I knew nothing. To complicate things a little, I knew a bit but not enough to suffice my position, but more than others, in a way that most wouldn't bother to consider, but is important to me. Complicated right? Well my master was complicated. To follow in his footsteps was to become as intricate as he was. A task to most, nearly impossible.  
  
Maybe that was why I was frowned upon by, well, most of the palace members when I first began my lessons. It wasn't something I noticed at first, mind you, it was something my slowly developing delusional mind had to figure out. I was very young, after all, and young minds are often blessed with the gift of seeing the good in all people. I assumed I just needed to fit in, and that was it. I didn't exactly expect more than that and I didn't think they would from me either.  
  
At first glance, you'd expect me to be running around in the warm weather playing tag with some friends or perhaps working as a hand maiden for a lady or lord of the palace. I would have said the same if I were you. Why not? I've often questioned to myself what Shimon actually saw in me to have put me in such a spot. And I'm sure the other priests had given him odd glances from time to time as well. Doesn't that sort of act make you question someone? It did for me, not about Shimon though, but about someone else.  
  
It's funny how something so little, you could crush between your fingers can hold a world of meaning. This glass pendant says it all. _Gardenia, Ginger, Lilac, Lotus, Rose..._ Oh dear, I'm blushing....and what a good memory I have too. Okay, so it doesn't look like anything of real value, but by now you might know that anything, whether a being or inanimate, can go much deeper than what the surface has to show. To me, this is him. This isn't _him _exactly (well obviously), but it symbolizes him and the many hidden dimensions that made up who he was.  
  
All those years of working and learning in close quarters with my master, I said I knew him well. _He_ was the stern and strict yet somewhat lenient teacher in the art of potion making, healing, and alchemy. _He_ never allowed his mind to wander when he was absorbed in creating a new, experimental concoction or just fiddling with an ordinary elixir of his choice. _He_ handled flasks and vials with such a precise grip that his hand _never_ shook _once_. _He_ (at least from what I heard) had _never_ broken a single vial in his _entire life_ ever since he began this task. He had his heart set on two things and _two_ things only: to be loyal to the Pharaoh and devoted to his job.  
  
And _he_ was the object of my affection.  
  
...oooo...  
  
With my arms propped up on my elbows and my chin casually resting on my knuckles, I quietly studied the formula for _Red Shepenn_[1], a tonic that was supposed to help relieve patients suffering from great pain. I guess my method of studying wasn't the best way in terms of absorbing information because my eyes were glazed over, making the text in front of me appear to be a mass of blurs, and once every so often, my eyes would move slightly to the right to where my master was vigorously trying to perfect one of his inventions.  
  
Everyone saw me as an absent-minded klutz when it came to working with potions. But that's not entirely true, had I paid close and careful attention; my work would have been almost as flawless as my master's. Hmm, the red stain is still here from when I spilt the tiny bit of acid, and the chip over in the far corner of the bench is from that large vile I smashed the other day, and well actually, this entire bench is full of nicks and dents from all my little incidents.  
  
Contrary to popular beliefs, I am not a klutz and can be a serious person. It's just lately; strange things have been happening that's preventing me from concentrating. Whenever the lessons began, my ears would seem to filter out all the information my master presented and leave only his voice behind. His rich, deep voice would float into my ears like crystal water flowing gently down a stream, soothing the innards of my mind. After the instructions were given, he would stand behind me to examine my progress as I worked. Even from behind, the spicy, sweet scent of lavender that clung onto him radiated a calming, sensual aroma that reminded me of delicate silk curtains and made me...... spill something.  
  
Not only did the sound and scent of him gave me, well what felt like, a stomach ache but just simply knowing he was there brought a light pounding in my chest that echoed into my ears and warm sweat to appear throughout my entire body. That intimidating glance added more to this nervousness and the grunts of disapproval didn't help too much either. Perhaps this can be described as a mixture of fear melded with a strange sense of fondness that overcame me at the same time. No wait, not fondness, something a bit, maybe a lot, stronger. Love? Errr......would that be overstating? I'm not sure. Well....  
  
"Mana."  
  
"........"  
  
"Mana!!"  
  
"........"  
  
"MANA!"  
  
"Huh? Oh, yes master?"  
  
"Studying hard are we?"  
  
"Umm, hehe, y-yes, very hard master."  
  
"May I interrupt your concentration for just a moment?"  
  
"Oh, uh of course. Do you need me to gather more herbs or maybe help fan away all the smoke blocking your view or if not that....."  
  
"Please pass me the red container to your left."  
  
"You mean this? Here."  
  
"Thank you, Mana."  
  
He gave me a quizzical, yet slightly knowing glance before he took the jar and went back to his work. He knew; which was very embarrassing in my part. And the fact that he knew without mentioning it and letting me wallow in my own sense of torment for knowing that he knew just made me want to shrink down and hide myself in a little crevice even more.  
  
Oh master, I am so undeserving to be in your presence. I wish I could be a better student and give you pride at least once in a while but my mind has developed an unshakable tendency to drift off and wander in matters unrelated to what I should be doing. _/Sigh/ _I feel so ashamed, not only for that awkward moment but for my master for having to put up with me for so long. Displeasing him is one of the worst feelings in the world, at least for me. From now on, I have to try harder. Make him proud, Mana. Show him you have the potential to become something he's actually glad to have a hand in creating. No more of this, this lovesick drama.  
  
"Here."  
  
He hands me a small, delicate scroll held together by a thin golden string. Its authentic appearance makes it seem as if the object had been sealed in a glass case, away from any human hands. It looks so new and clean. I'm almost afraid to touch it.  
  
"What is this for, master?"  
  
"Your final test, Mana."  
  
"What do you mean? Is this a punishment?"  
  
"Believe me, this is no punishment. You have been under my training for awhile now and I believe you are ready to finish with your studies. I wanted to....."  
  
"Oh no, please, I will do better, I promise. Please don't send me away!"  
  
"I would never do that. You just need to believe me and follow the instructions written on this scroll, alright?"  
  
"Oh a-alright, I will."  
  
"Be sure to follow the directions carefully. I will be back soon."  
  
And with that, he turns and heads for one of the two doors leading into this room. I'm not too sure what to make of this sudden "test." My master wouldn't give me something like this unless he had informed me about it in advance. And even then, he would have gone through it thoroughly to make sure I knew what to do. Maybe, maybe he really does..... But no, he said he wouldn't and his word is never false. Alright then, I said I would try to make my master proud, so I'll get this done and get it done right.  
  
After untying the string and unrolling the two ends of the scroll, my eyes immediately catch the strange title to the concoction. _Angel's Tear Quicksilver_. That's.....odd. Well, the ingredients and procedure seems simple enough. Actually, the ingredients were sort of odd as well but I should be able to get through this without much difficulty.  
  
_Angel's Tear Quicksilver  
_  
_7 drops of frankincense tears_  
  
_5 clove leaves_  
  
_A pinch of crushed comfrey root_  
  
_Approximately half a vile of gardenia_  
  
_A light sprinkle of ginger  
_  
_An entire vile of hyacinth perfume water_  
  
_2 drops of lavender perfume_  
  
_3 lilac flowers_  
  
_1 lotus flower_  
  
_¼ of a jar of mugwort_  
  
_A pinch of crushed rosemary  
_  
_5 rose petals_  
  
_10 droplets of myrrh  
_  
_3 broken fey kapab twigs  
_  
_A dash of bergamot_  
  
_A single leaf of bay_  
  
_4 drops of dragon's blood_  
  
_Dragon's flame  
_  
_In a large pot of boiling water, add ingredients accordingly in the order shown from the list, leaving out the dragon's blood, flame and bay leaf. Be sure to add in each item separately and leave time between each to allow the water to settle. Stir all ingredients together until they have all been thoroughly mixed with one another. Pleasant aromas should begin to form as the ingredients are being mixed. Continue stirring until the aroma reaches a desired scent. Let sit and allow water to boil until the surface reaches a half of the way up the pot.  
  
While waiting, prepare dragon's blood and flames by mixing the two together and trapping the flame in a small, closed container. Add to mixture when ready. Be careful, this new ingredient will cause large amounts of bubbling and smoke to rise. Allow the mixture time to settle and wait until bubbling and smoke dissipates. Add bay leaf and let water boil until at the water has fully evaporated. When this happens, reach into the pot and discover the product this blend has produced for you.  
_  
I waited impatiently for the water to finally boil down, anxious to see what was going to be at the bottom of the pot. The final result of the combination of all those ingredients (some of which were foreign) was something I never expected to see. It was a tiny crystal container the size of a human thumbnail and shaped in the image of a teardrop. It hung from a delicate hair-thin golden chain that looped through a tiny hole at the pointed end of the pendant. Encased in the fragile glass was a single drop of a silvery metallic liquid that slide back and forth inside its container with ease. Quicksilver; or another name for the substance, mercury.  
  
"Ah, I see you've finished."  
  
A voice startled me as I turned to see my master enter through the other door. He stood in front of me for a moment and examined the object in my hands with the tiniest of smiles. To my surprise, he then gently takes the "necklace" from my hands and fastens it around my neck, keeping his hands wrapped around me after he did so. He looks directly into my eyes, a look of warmth and compassion I have never seen before.  
  
"Gardenia: for the love and peace in your eyes you have been blessed with each and every day."  
  
He speaks with a gentle and velvety voice that soothed my ears.  
  
"Ginger: my pledge to protect you in my arms and give you the courage to be strong through all the trials you may face."  
  
He cups my chin and lifts it up to meet his twinkling eyes.  
  
"Lilac: for the purity in your soul that has melted the ice in my cold and uncaring heart."  
  
He wraps his right arm around my waist and slowly pulls me closer to his warm body.  
  
"Lotus: my assurance to bring happiness and joy into your heart when you are overcome with sadness and despair."  
  
He closes his eyes and leans my head to his chest. Our hearts beat in unison.  
  
"Bergamot: may your dreams be filled with the sounds of sweet angels and the innocent gentleness of a child."  
  
He slowly caresses my cheek with the back of his hand as I close my eyes and lean into his body.  
  
"Bay leaf: may you steadily grow in your powers as I guide you, one step at a time, down our path of destiny."  
  
A feather-soft kiss on the cheek.  
  
"Hyacinth: for the care and support I will offer you through the days of your sorrow and grief and the strength I will give you to overcome them."  
  
He holds my face in his hands and gazes down at me.  
  
"And rose: the promise of my eternal love and devotion through all of our bright times as well as our darkest hours together. My love for you will never falter and die away like the ever changing seasons but will grow stronger and brighter with the coming of each day like Ra in the sky. I hold true to my words."  
  
I stared at him for a second with a look of shock and utter disbelief. Then the tears came streaming down. What was this? I don't understand what's going on. The only explanation I could think of based on everything I knew about him was.........I couldn't think of anything. There is nothing of which I could base my reasoning on. My mind was left with a blank slate.  
  
"I-I...what? What is this, master? What, what happened to you? You've never jested around like......"  
  
But he just kept on staring at me with those eyes. The warmth in them seemed to have been kindled with an internal flame that burned with love and care; it was entirely directed at me. With unspoken words, he leaned down and placed a soft kiss on my lips. And smiled.  
  
That did it. What ever caused my sudden action could not be explained but I just did it out of confusion and fear. I threw my arms around him and wept long and hard into his chest. I couldn't hold back any longer; I was so afraid, so afraid.  
  
"Oh please, please master, this isn't like you, I know it. Tell me this is a jest. Tell me! You wouldn't play around with my emotions like this no, NO, you wouldn't. I'm scared. I don't know why b-but I am. Stop this, please; I don't want to feel this way. I don't want to fear you because I- I......"  
  
That was all I could muster up until another painful sob erupted from my throat, making it difficult to say anything more. I gripped onto him like my life depended on it and just allowed all my emotions to rush out. I felt the heat from his body on my face but that didn't matter. I didn't know what else to do. He patted his hand softly on my back and rubbed soothing circles as my face was buried in his chest. Still, he remained silent for quite a long time.  
  
"It's not.....true, not true......"  
  
My tears finally ran dry and the sobs too died down. I stared up at him with my tear-streaked face looking for the answers I sought so desperately. His smile was still there and he looked down at me with the look one would give for the most precious jewel in the world.  
  
"Am I hurting you?"  
  
"No, this is just so different, it's not right."  
  
"Change is nothing to be afraid of, love, but I understand."  
  
"But you're not.... like this."  
  
He chuckles, "No, but you are the one that brought this out of me. You've shown me a love I have never felt before and I want to share it with you."  
  
I looked down and blushed, "S-so you c-could tell all along?"  
  
"Most definitely, you were quite absorbed in your 'studies.'"  
  
"I, hehe – "  
  
He closed my mouth in mid sentence with sharp kiss before I could respond. This one lasted longer.  
  
"Are you embarrassed now, love?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"That's how I like to see you."  
  
"Uh....."  
  
He laughed and cupped my cheek in his hand, "Do you know why I 'gave' you this pendant?"  
  
"No, why?"  
  
"I wanted to show just how much you mean to me but words could not explain in full all I desire to give you. This little pendant could. I am glad it found its way to you because this means that you have accepted my request to come into your heart."  
  
I captured it in my finger and looked down at it. I couldn't believe he had gone to so much trouble to show, to show that he....loved me. He loved me with a selfless heart that was willing to give me all he could possibly offer, maybe even more.  
  
"And I'm glad you let me into yours."  
  
"The doors have always been open to you."  
  
And so, we embraced. This time, the fear and confusion was gone, blown away by the desert wind and replace with the genuine affection I've dreamed of for so long yet failed to believe would ever come true. His touch was of a caring and gentle one of a lover, no longer of the familiarly firm and instructive one of a teacher.  
  
His tone too had changed. He wrapped me in his strong arms and whispered words of nothingness into my ear; of birds singing in the sky, of carefree children laughing and singing in the sun, of mothers humming sweet lullabies in the dark hour and of his promises to shield me from the perils of the world.  
  
_Nothing will break this, I promise you.  
_  
He held me for an eternity until he slowly released me. With a kiss of parting, her took my pendant in his hands and wrapped in arm around my shoulder. He held it up to my eyes where I could see the mercury slide around inside its case.  
  
"Quicksilver. To the Romans, the God Mercury was the messenger to of the angels and deities. He flew with his talaria[2] and petasus[3] delivering messages to the ones especially favoured by the Roman Gods. This single drop of mercury is a final message I have for you..."  
  
He leaned down close to my ear and whispered.  
  
"....you've passed the test."  
  
...oooo...  
  
It took me awhile to realise this but I can't possibly know everything about anyone. Once that assumption is made, you get struck with something that can throw your 'facts' off balance.  
  
As I proudly watch him atop this tower, with all his courage and strength shown in the fullest, I know now to never so quickly judge. The being whom had held me with the lightest of touches is the same one bravely fighting for the Pharaoh with all his power and might. His unwavering stance against his arch opponent, the Blue Eyes White Dragon (a creature that exceeds his own strength), shows the steel-hard courage he armed himself with and how far he would go to defend the ones close to him. Our Pharaoh has all his faith in him and so do I.  
  
That day all those millennia ago not only expanded the walls holding all I thought I knew about him but tore them down entirely. All there is to know about him can fill endless volumes of encyclopedias, of which my thin paperback pales in comparison. The knowledgeable side, the stern side, and the tender sides are all just part of what makes up who he is. I admit I know very little and will continue to.  
  
Perhaps it's best to cherish what I know now and wait for the unknown to reveal itself in the future:  
  
He is the trusted magician of the great Pharaoh. His abounding knowledge in the art of magic and spell casting can not be outmatched by any other whom has not been created through him. The profound and interchangeable power he wields is awed by everyone who knows him by name, or even, by reputation. The regal demeanour he holds radiates a message of honour and pride to the creatures that dare to cross his path. The brave and stone-hard stance by which he arms himself with when he defends his master is unmistakably unyielding. His ways are mysterious and unpredictable...  
  
.....and I am proud to be chosen as his.  
  
Owari

* * *

[1] Red Shepenn – used in Ancient Egypt was a form or aesthetic.  
  
[2] Talaria – winged sandals  
  
[3] Petasus – winged hat  
  
A/N: That was long, and weird, and sappy. Sorry for any tense confusion, the beginning is in past tense, the middle is a mix and the end, present tense. I made up the recipe but the herbs and their meanings can be found at:  
  
Temple of Isis:  
  
http:groups.msn.com/TempleofISIS/aromatherapyandthescentofthedivine.msnw 


End file.
